Sarafan commanders
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) (by last surviving member) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) (indirect mention/depiction) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 (2001) (first appearance) |timeline = • All timelines |foundation = • Nosgoth's early history |dissolution = • Prior to the Nosgoth's early history |status = • Inactive, majority deceased (Nosgoth's early history) |successors = • Traitor vampires of the Sarafan order (Fourth timeline, Post-Blood Omen era) • Lieutenants of the Council in Kain's empire (Soul Reaver era) |leaders = • Malek the Paladin (Conflict Guardian) • Raziel (Grand Inquisitor) |members = • Turel • Dumah • Rahab • Zephon • Melchiah |forces = Sarafan brotherhood troops |headquarters = • The Sarafan Stronghold |aliases = • The Sarafan inquisitors |territories = • The Sarafan Stronghold • Uschtenheim • The Pillars of Nosgoth • The Swamp |allies = • The Circle of Nine |enemies = • The vampires |appearances = |mentioned = }} The Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors or simply Sarafan Inquisitors, were a highly ranked Sarafan class involved in the leadership of the order. The Inquisitor rank was hinted throughout the series before they appeared in Soul Reaver 2. Major characters that bore the rank (as Humans) included Melchiah, Zephon, Rahab, Dumah, Turel, Raziel and Sarafan Leader and last survivor of the class Malek. Ultimately, most of the Inquisitors (with the exception of Conflict Guardian Malek) were killed in a legendary assault upon the Sarafan Stronghold in Nosgoth's early history and were buried in the Tomb of the Sarafan. Role Much of the important events involving the Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors (including the murder of Janos Audron Kain: "The Heart of Darkness - Reputed to have been ripped from the chest of the greatest vampire to have ever existed, Janos Audron, the Heart of Darkness restores vampiric unlife. Life is precious, Janos discovered - as it was torn throbbing and bleeding from his own body." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Kain VO: "In my travels, I learned much about the legend of Janos Audron. Here, in this quaint pastoral village of Uschtenheim, that dark enemy was born. Janos preyed upon its peasants until he was finally hunted down and executed." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Uschtenheim Villager: "There used to be a vampire living there, before the Sarafan hunted and killed him. They say he screamed four score days and nights before he died! He vowed vengeance, he did!" Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript.and subsequent Slaughter of the Circle (~The camera continues to pull out, and we see the above scene contained within a pool of water, nested in the middle of a large, circular table with arcane symbols carved into it. Around the table are a cluster of wizards, both male and female, young and old. The room is dimly lit, but we can make out what they are wearing. They appear to be watching the events in the magic pool quite intently. Suddenly a door swings open, flooding the room with blinding light. A jagged sword rips through the closest wizard, and the vampire Vorador appears from behind the falling corpse.~) Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Wizard: (amidst bloodcurdling screams)"Malek!"//(~Vorador fires an energy bolt at another wizard, killing her.~)Wizard: "Malek!"//(~He then turns to the wizard screaming for aid and throws a flay spell.~)Wizard:(screams)//(~Her flesh is blasted from her bloody bones. Vorador laughs darkly as he corners the last remaining wizard in the chamber. The wizard tries to cast a spell, but is panicking.~)Final Wizard: (whimpering)"Malek!"//(~There is the sound of an approaching man in armour, rushing along the stone tiled floors.~)Vorador: (laughing)"Call your dogs! They can feast on your corpses!"//(~He fires a blood gout spell – the projectile hits the victim, forcing a stream of blood to be jettisoned from the body into Vorador’s open mouth. He then dodges sideways. Malek rushes in through the doorway, poleax drawn, to behold a silent chamber that is vacant except for the carnage. Vorador materializes behind him, and strikes a blow to the back of his head.~) Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript., as well as Malek punishment for his failure to protect the circle (~Malek finds himself bound and stripped naked in the center of a dark chamber, lit only by candle flame. Arcane runes and symbols of power are drawn into the floor. Scars adorne his body. On the ground before him is an empty suit of armor, propped up on a stand, giving it the impression that it has some form inside it.~)Mortanius: "For failing the Circle, Malek of the Sarafan, you are hereby damned!" (~Malek’s spirit is stripped from his body and fused into his armor.~)Mortanius: "The pleasures of the flesh are no longer yours. You have but one purpose, damned one. You will serve us for eternity." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. What's the Story?: "Malek's punishment for not protecting the circle was terrible. He was stripped of his life, and his soul was welded to his armor. He became the Pillar of conflict, guardian of the circle for all eternity." Prima Games. Prima's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Official Game Secrets (1996).Page 8.ISBN 0-7615-0363-3) were revealed in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain through the history of the Sarafan brotherhood, though the inquisitors were not overtly mentioned. In the era featured, the crusades of the Sarafan were long over and the exact leadership structure of the order was not conclusively explored, though Conflict Guardian, Malek was identified as the leader of the Sarafan and "last of the Sarafan sorcerer-priests" Oracle: "Malek - defender of the Nine and last of the Sarafan sorcerer-priests. His vanity led to the slaughter of the Circle at the hands of the vampire Vorador. For his failing, his spirit was fused to a hellish set of magical armor. He has allowed no member of the Circle to fall since." // Kain: "What of this Vorador?" // Oracle: "Follow the glow of the Ignis Fatuus to the Termogent Forest." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript.. The leadership of the Sarafan was explored further in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver as Raziel found the long-sealed Tomb of the Sarafan, uncovered by Nosgoth's cataclysms in the Soul Reaver era . Entering the tomb, Raziel recalled legends of the "Sarafan warrior priests" and their "merciless war against the vampire tribes of Nosgoth", regarding them coldly as "murderers enshrined" Raziel: "The ancient tomb of the Sarafan, once impenetrably sealed... Now, ravaged by Nosgoth’s upheavals, its mysteries lay exposed.//In the time of Vorador, centuries before Kain was made, the Sarafan warrior priests waged a merciless war against the vampire tribes of Nosgoth. Emboldened by righteousness, they committed unspeakable and indiscriminate acts of violence - massacring fledglings and ancients alike, they decimated entire bloodlines in mere decades. Now their husks lay here - murderers enshrined." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript.. Inside the tomb Raziel found the "defiled" tombs of martyred ""Sarafan saints", bearing the names of himself and his former vampire brothers (Turel, Dumah, Rahab, Zephon and Melchiah) as well as vacant space for Sarafan leader Malek (presumably unused due to his punishment and notably vandalized). The tomb suggested that Raziel and his brothers were highly influential in Sarafan order, of equal status to Sarafan leader Malek. Raziel: "As I pulled the stone free, a sigh of sepulchral air escaped the inner chamber. I was not prepared for what lay beyond this threshold... These crypts... defiled caskets of Sarafan saints... bearing my brothers’ names... And my own... The irony of Kain’s blasphemous act rushed in on me with the crushing force of revelation... Were my hands not as bloody as these? Worse, I had spilled the blood of my brothers -these very comrades whose tombs lay ravaged before me." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Elder God: "Yes, Raziel - you were Sarafan... born of the same force that all but destroyed your race. Before the dawn of the Empire, you were chosen. Kain - Nosgoth’s solitary, self-declared monarch - plundered this tomb and raised you from these crypts. Breathing his vampiric gift into your defiled corpses, he resurrected you as his favored sons." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. . The Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors were featured in a much greater role in Soul Reaver 2, as Raziel journeyed into Nosgoth's past. Initially Raziel arrived in the Sarafan Stronghold in the Pre-Blood Omen era, (inhabited by Moebius's mercenary army) and discovered lionized depictions of the fallen inquisitors Raziel VO: "Strange, how my history came full circle... This chapel, I realized, was a memorial to my former Sarafan brethren and myself... all of us martyred here, and then so cruelly profaned by Kain when he imposed his ‘gift’ on our noble corpses." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Raziel VO: "For the first time, I beheld the image of my Sarafan self, memorialized here among my fallen comrades. It tortured me to see how noble and pure I had been – and what a vile phantasm I had become. And a profound sense of injury – of loss and betrayal – welled up in me, so overwhelming I could barely contain it. All I wanted at this moment was to find Kain, and destroy him." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript.(along with a hint as to their murderer ). With these depictions Raziel was further motivated against Kain, but as he explored Nosgoth and uncovered some of its history, he began to question his assumptions about the Sarafan - and by the time he had returned to the time of the Sarafan crusades his opinions on the Sarafan crusades had changed and he viewed the Sarafan crusades as "chilling" Raziel VO: "For all the butchery of Moebius’s crusade, this massacre was somehow more chilling... The killing fields of the Sarafan betrayed a kind of orderly ruthlessness – the cold-blooded righteousness of the true believer." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. and the Sarafan themselves as "monstrous" Raziel VO: "Here at last, in the flesh, I beheld my former brothers-in-arms – the warrior-priests of the Sarafan order, their lives devoted solely to the annihilation of the ‘vampire plague.’ And while I confess I felt a twinge of longing, a pang of grief for what I had believed was my lost virtue, I regarded them now with none of the reverence I formerly felt. For I had seen the human face of the vampires - and now I beheld the monstrousness of these men." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript.. In the final climactic scenes of Soul Reaver 2, Raziel was able to revisit the important events of Sarafan history and discover the truth behind the artistic depictions he had seen before, finding that it was the Sarafan inquisitors that had attacked Janos' Retreat (~At once, from the hallway beyond the double door comes the unmistakable sound of armored soldiers rapidly approaching. With a sudden sick recognition, Raziel realizes that by blazing a path for himself through the Retreat, he has unwittingly exposed Janos to the Sarafan.~)Janos: "I fear you have been followed..."(~With this, the door crashes open, and a squad of Sarafan warriors burst into the room. Their leader is armed with a cruel-looking weapon, and they are bearing Moebius’ staff.~) Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript., murdered Janos (~The Sarafan are clustered around Janos’ prostrate body, having rendered him helpless with the aid of Moebius’ staff. They've pinned the ancient vampire on his back. As Janos struggles against his captors, the head inquisitor commands his fellow Sarafan –~)Sarafan Raziel: "Hold him!"//(~Savoring the moment, the inquisitor raises his cruel-looking blade – then bringing it down violently, he tears Janos’ chest open.~)Janos: (~screams in agony~) (~Raziel reaches the threshold of the chamber too late. He watches in horror as the inquisitor reaches into Janos' open chest cavity and rips out his living heart with his hand, raising it triumphantly for the other Sarafan to see – ~)//'Turel:' "Look at his black heart, how it still beats!" (~Raziel prepares to leap into the fray, and then is frozen – as the head inquisitor turns, raising the heart, Raziel gets a good look at his face. And realizes that he has just watched himself – his former, Sarafan self – murder Janos.The two incarnations of Raziel lock eyes on each other – blue Raziel gaping in horror at recognizing his former self, and Sarafan Raziel strangely haunted by something in this demonic figure, but not knowing what.~) Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript., and stolen the Heart of Darkness and the Reaver; (~As Janos begins to die, a tremor shakes the Retreat. The chamber rocks with the impact, and begins to collapse under the strain.–~)Dumah: "The fiend intends to bury us alive!"~Then, trying to snap their leader out of his trance –~''"Raziel, we must get out of here!"//(~Sarafan-Raziel cannot tear his eyes from this demonic apparition. With his gaze still locked on this Raziel, he commands his fellow Sarafan –~)'Sarafan Raziel:' ''"Remember the sword!" (~Dumah grabs up the Reaver. With Moebius' staff still in Turel's possession and Janos' heart still in Raziel's, the Sarafan rush out of the chamber just as the entire Retreat threatens to collapse around them.~) Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. with the human Raziel leading the group and personally responsible for the act. This revelation caused Raziel to reject his former humanity and pursue the retreating inquisitors to their stronghold, attempting to recover the Reaver and the Heart of Darkness, Raziel VO: "As I backed away from Janos’s body, I was overwhelmed by a sense of self-loathing so deep, I could barely contain it. In that instant, I rejected all that I ever was, and embraced the role Janos had safeguarded for me so patiently throughout the centuries. I knew then what I had to do – the task for which I was uniquely prepared...I would pursue the Sarafan dogs to their loathsome fortress, and avenge Janos Audron’s murder. Moebius would pay dearly for his treachery, and my Sarafan brethren would reap the horrors they had sown. I would retake the stolen Reaver, which was rightfully mine. And finally, when all these debts had been paid, I would reclaim Janos Audron’s heart from their filthy, unworthy hands. If the heart was truly imbued with the power to restore vampiric unlife, its highest purpose was clear to me... I would restore the heart to Janos, and thus undo the vile crime committed by my abominable former self." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. with his attack unwittingly coinciding with Vorador's legendary assault (~Suddenly, the sounds of a far-off disturbance echo through the chamber. Screams, terrified cries for Malek, and the unmistakable laughter of the vampire Vorador as he mocks the Guardians reverberate through the stone corridors – this is the same moment in history where Vorador infiltrated the Stronghold to take his revenge on the Circle (also for Janos’ murder).~)Vorador:(in the distance) "Call your dogs – they can feast on your corpses!"//'Malek:' "Lord Moebius, there is trouble within. The Circle is under attack –"//'Moebius:' (completely cold; focused)"Hold fast, Malek. This one is the real danger to us." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript.. After recovering the Reaver (and delaying Inquisitor Malek) Raziel: "What are you trying to concoct here, Moebius?"//'Moebius:' "You toxic creature – did you imagine I’d simply allow you to run loose, corrupting everything you encounter?"//'Raziel:' "I admit that I’ve underestimated you to this point, Moebius – but it’s a mistake I won’t repeat."//(~With his wraith-blade completely drained by the presence of Moebius’ staff, Raziel has no choice but to take up the Reaver. He grabs the hilt and advances on Moebius and Malek. This is the moment Moebius was waiting for –~)Moebius: "Wrong again, Raziel."(~Moebius and Malek back out of the open doorway.~)"Now, Malek! Bolt the door!" Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. (~Raziel rushes forward, but the portcullis slams down just as he reaches the door. Turning back toward the chamber, he contemplates the Reaver now clutched in his grasp, and realizes that he has no choice but to press forward into the cloister.~)Raziel: "Using his staff to disable my wraith-blade, Moebius effectively disarmed me, leaving me with only one choice of weapon. And yet I confess, it was not the lack of options, but blind rage that made me take up the Reaver – in my fury, it felt as though my hand had acted of its own will. And now that same hand clutched the hilt with unyielding strength – and I felt a constrained tingling, a remote but palpable sense of longing as the disabled wraith-blade tried vainly to embrace its physical twin." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. Raziel was confronted by the remaining Sarafan Inquisitors (including his former human self) (~As Raziel enters the cloister, he is confronted by the first two of Janos’ murderers, who have apparently been dispatched to confront him here.~)Zephon: "Come to take your revenge, demon?"//'Melchiah:' "Back to hell with you!"(~Raziel looks upon his former brethren with disgust, relishing his advantage over them.~)//'Raziel VO:' "I recognized these two as my former brethren... in life, as Sarafan; and in unlife, as Kain’s vampire ‘sons.’ Melchiah and Zephon, the weakest of Kain’s brood... These bastards had no idea what future lay in store for them – how they would become the very thing they so despised. The Reaver hummed with ravenous anticipation – Janos had called it a ‘vampiric’ blade, endowed with the power to drain its victims of their lifeblood. I was eager to see what the Reaver would do to these two..." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. (~Raziel proceeds to the nave of the Stronghold’s main Sanctuary, where he discovers Rahab and Dumah waiting for him.~)Dumah: "Have you come to reclaim the monster’s black heart?"//'Rahab:' "You’ll have to get through us, first." (~Raziel readies the Reaver eagerly, savoring his newly-discovered role in their ultimate destinies.~)//'Raziel VO:' "My former brethren Dumah and Rahab confronted me next – this all seemed so elegantly choreographed. Exhilarated by the Reaver, I was drunk with revelations... I could finally appreciate the delicious irony of Kain’s blasphemous, private joke – and I reveled as I colluded with him across the centuries. For it was ''I who put these bastards in their tomb – thus providing the corpses for Kain to raise as his vampire sons a millennium from now."'' Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. (~Upon defeating Rahab and Dumah, Raziel proceeds to the choir of the Sanctuary. Here, finally, Raziel is confronted by Turel, alone – his former second-in-command, both as a Sarafan and vampire. Turel advances on Raziel with self-righteous contempt –~)Turel: "Get back to the pit you crawled from, demon!"//'Raziel:' "And here at last was my brother Turel, who along with Dumah would bear me into the abyss without questioning Kain’s command. So dutiful and righteous, even as a vampire... I guess some habits die hard. The vampire Turel had eluded my vengeance; the Sarafan Turel would not." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. (~After confronting and killing each of his former Sarafan brethren in turn, Raziel finally comes face-to-face with his former Sarafan Inquisitor self, who has apparently been waiting for him alone in the Chapter House of the Stronghold. This is a dead-end, a trap calculated by Moebius. As he crosses the threshold, the portcullis slams down behind him, and there is no way out. This is an intense psychological event for Raziel, who knows that he’s facing all the negative, “shadow” aspects of his own personality. Sarafan Raziel addresses him with self-righteous disdain, blissfully ignorant of this demonic creature's true identity. He is hateful, arrogant, and bigoted.~)Sarafan Raziel: "So, ''vampire – here we are. You’ve destroyed my brethren – and now you’ve come for me? You’ll find I am not such easy prey."//(~Raziel is somewhat taken aback and intimidated. He sincerely doesn’t want to become his own murderer (though he realizes it’s probably inevitable).~)'Raziel:' ''"I don’t want to kill you, but I will if I must. Return the heart to me, and we can end this now." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Sarafan Raziel: "So you’ve come to avenge that filthy parasite, and reclaim his foul heart? You’re a righteous fiend, aren’t you?"//'Raziel:' "Apparently I am."//'Sarafan Raziel:' "No, vampire. This is where it ends, but you won’t be leaving this room. Now let’s finish this – I’ll make it mercifully quick."//'Raziel:' "As you did for Janos?"//'Sarafan Raziel:' "No, that beast had eluded us for far too long. It would have been a shame to end him too quickly. It’s ironic, really – the ‘great Janos Audron’ turned out to be no challenge at all... thanks to you. Did you hear his cowardly screams when I tore that black heart out of his carcass?"(~Raziel can no longer contain his rage – raising the Reaver, he lunges at the Sarafan Inquisitor.~) Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript.. With Raziel made invincible by the Reaver, he was easily able to dispatch them Raziel VO: "As Melchiah and Zephon fell before my blade, I felt the Reaver’s blood-thirst as keenly as I ever had when I was still a vampire. I could sense the boundary between us dissolving – the Reaver was consumed with my rage, and I was intoxicated by its bloodlust. The blade had a vitalizing effect on me – my physical energy no longer decayed over time, and the wounds inflicted by my foes healed almost instantly. The Reaver had made me invincible." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. (~The Sarafan Inquisitor is defeated, and as he staggers, Raziel runs him through with the Reaver. Transfixed on the blade, Sarafan Raziel chokes and gasps as his lifeblood is drained from his body. Face to face in this deadly embrace, Raziel curses his former self with the solemnity of an oath –~)Raziel: "I renounce you."//(~The Sarafan Inquisitor collapses to the floor, and the Reaver blade slides free of his body.~)Raziel: "And so it ends. My history comes full circle." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. and took particular pleasure as he discovered that he was their murderer and finally understood "Kain’s blasphemous, private joke" and his own role in the downfall of the order. Though much of the leadership of the Sarafan had fallen by the time of Kain's return to the Sarafan stronghold in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, he found several depictions of Sarafan inquisitor and leader Malek (~Kain comes across two other statues of Malek, one holding a shield, the other a sword.~) Kain: "Malek’s missing sheild. I hated to restore his dignity, but I would need to return this to his monument before I could progress. "//'Kain:' "Malek’s sword belonged in his right hand. However distasteful this errand was, I would return it to its proper place." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Defiance. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (November 11, 2003) Transcript., as well as seven thrones in the tower of the stronghold ; apparently a 'council chamber' of sorts for the late inquisitor group. Members and Leadership The Sarafan Warrior Inqusitor group (as suggested by the Tomb of the Sarafan) included seven inquisitors: Malek, Raziel, Turel, Dumah, Rahab, Zephon and Melchiah. Though the inquisitor rank is clearly at the highest rank of the Sarafan brotherhood faction, the exact rankings within the group are less obvious. The Sarafan crusades as a whole were acknowledged to be led by Malek Kain: "Hidden amidst the many obscure artifacts in that museum, I discovered an ancient chronicle. This passage caught my eye://“It was during these dark times infested with the plague of the undead, that the Circle brought the Sarafan to existence. Trained to be devoutly loyal to the Circle, and the perfect exterminators of the undead scourge, they were led to many victories by the righteous paladin, Malek. They cleansed the vampires with fire, and released their souls to more blessed realms. There is no wrath as terrible as that of the righteous.”''//I had read enough. At once disgusted and intrigued, I placed the book back down in that museum."'' Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. What's the Story?: "Many millenia ago, in Nosgoth, a great purge took place. Malek, leading the fanatical Sarafan in a holy war against the vampires, ruthlessly hunted down and exterminated the creatures, leaving them impaled on huge stakes. He was helped in this by the Circle of Nine, the legendary demigods who are the guardians of the nine sacred pillars." Prima Games. Prima's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Official Game Secrets (1996).Page 8.ISBN 0-7615-0363-3 Meet the Denizens of Nosgoth: Malek "Malek was once a fanatical Sarafan warrior-priest who led the vampire purges many, many years ago. He is now a member of the Circle of Nine and the guardian of the Pillar of Conflict. Due to his failure during the purges to protect the Circle-several of whom were killed by the vampire Vorador-he was condemned to protect the Circle for all eternity. And yet he has lost the trust of the remaining guardians, and his only wish is to find a way to recover his lost humanity.//In life Malek built a reputation as a cold-blooded killer, feared and despised by enemy generals and loathed by the vampires he and his Sarafan brethren hunted with ruthless efficiency. As a guardian, Malek's rune-covered armor is battered and dented, his helmet's plume soaked in the blood of his enemies, and his ferocity and hatred remain undiminished." Prima Games. Prima's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Official Game Secrets (1996).Page 9-10.ISBN 0-7615-0363-3 "Raziel finds the Reaver and is compelled to seize it when Moebius and Malek (Sarafan commander and Guardian of Conflict) appear. Moebius reveals he was indeed manipulating Raziel all along, as he orders Malek to bar the door." Prima Games. [[Prima's Official Strategy Guide - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2|Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2]](2001).Page 93.ISBN 0-7615-3237-4, presumably suggesting he would be the highest ranked of the group, however Raziel is referred to on several occasions as the "Head"''or ''"Grand Inquisitor""Grand Inquisitor Notes" on Daniel Cabuco's online portfolio(with his armor appropriately displaying much more ornate and intricate detail than the other inquisitors) and he displayed seniority over the rest of the inquisitor group at least, though he is still on occasion referred to as a "Sarafan lieutanant" Blade of Vengeance: "Raziel reenters Janos's lair at the worst possible moment-the Sarafan Warriors, led by the Sarafan lieutanant Raziel, rip the heart from the chest of Janos. As the retreat threatens to collapse around them, they flee, taking the Soul Reaver with them. With his dying breath, Janos tells Raziel that the Reaver was forged for him and that he must reclaim it. Raziel resolves to pursue to Sarafam to their Stronghold, and destroy the order to avenge Janos's death. He then plans to retrieve the Reaver and restore the Heart of Darkness to Janos's body, thereby resurrecting him." Prima Games. [[Prima's Official Strategy Guide - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2|Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2]](2001).Page 87.ISBN 0-7615-3237-4. The remaining individual inquisitors were apparently ranked in the same order as their later vampire lives (Turel, Dumah , Rahab, Zephon and Melchiah) . The features of the Tomb of the Sarafan and the 'upper tower' of the Sarafan Stronghold may suggest that the inquisitor group formed a 'council' of sorts to preside over the Sarafan crusades. SR2-DC-CorneredintheStronghold-040.png|Sarafan Warrior Inquisitor and Sarafan Leader Malek in SR2 SR2-DC-Renunciation-016.png|Sarafan "Grand Inquisitor" Raziel in SR2 SR2-DC-Vengeance-034-Turel.png|Sarafan Warrior Inquisitor Turel in SR2 SR2-DC-Vengeance-022-Rahab-Dumah.png|Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors Dumah (left) and Rahab (right) in SR2 SR2-DC-Vengeance-006-Melchiah-Zephon.png|Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors Melchiah (left) and Zephon (right) in SR2 Notes *The Sarafan warrior inquisitors are somewhat inconsistently named throughout the series: mentions of the Sarafan in Blood Omen and Soul Reaver refer to "Sarafan Sorcerer-Priests" '' '''Oracle:' "Malek - defender of the Nine and last of the Sarafan sorcerer-priests. His vanity led to the slaughter of the Circle at the hands of the vampire Vorador. For his failing, his spirit was fused to a hellish set of magical armor. He has allowed no member of the Circle to fall since." // Kain: "What of this Vorador?" // Oracle: "Follow the glow of the Ignis Fatuus to the Termogent Forest." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript.and "Sarafan Warrior-Priests" Raziel: "The ancient tomb of the Sarafan, once impenetrably sealed... Now, ravaged by Nosgoth’s upheavals, its mysteries lay exposed.//In the time of Vorador, centuries before Kain was made, the Sarafan warrior priests waged a merciless war against the vampire tribes of Nosgoth. Emboldened by righteousness, they committed unspeakable and indiscriminate acts of violence - massacring fledglings and ancients alike, they decimated entire bloodlines in mere decades. Now their husks lay here - murderers enshrined." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript.respectively - though these may be general terms for Sarafan troops. When they appear in Soul Reaver 2 the Sarafan Raziel is identified as a "sarafan inquisitor" (~After confronting and killing each of his former Sarafan brethren in turn, Raziel finally comes face-to-face with his former Sarafan Inquisitor self, who has apparently been waiting for him alone in the Chapter House of the Stronghold. This is a dead-end, a trap calculated by Moebius. As he crosses the threshold, the portcullis slams down behind him, and there is no way out. This is an intense psychological event for Raziel, who knows that he’s facing all the negative, “shadow” aspects of his own personality. Sarafan Raziel addresses him with self-righteous disdain, blissfully ignorant of this demonic creature's true identity. He is hateful, arrogant, and bigoted.~)Sarafan Raziel: "So, ''vampire – here we are. You’ve destroyed my brethren – and now you’ve come for me? You’ll find I am not such easy prey."//(~Raziel is somewhat taken aback and intimidated. He sincerely doesn’t want to become his own murderer (though he realizes it’s probably inevitable).~)'Raziel:' ''"I don’t want to kill you, but I will if I must. Return the heart to me, and we can end this now." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript.(and as the "head" or "grand inquisitor""Grand Inquisitor Notes" on Daniel Cabuco's online portfolio) though this term is not explicitly used to refer to the other members of the rank. In other places the rank is referred to as "Sarafan Warriors" "Janos is a winged vampire much like Raziel was long ago. He has waited here among these ancient empty towers for thousands of years. Janos reveals he is the tenth Guardian, the Keeper of the Reaver. It seems the Reaver is the key to restoring the Pillars, but before Raziel can learn more, a cadre of Sarafan Warriors ambush Janos and Raziel. They have followed a trail Raziel blazed through the Retreat and have come to kill the ancient vampire. Before Raziel can act, Janos teleports him to the safety in the adjacent Fire Forge. Raziel hears the sounds of the battle on the other side of a sealed door, but he is helpless. If he can activate the Forge and open the door, perhaps he might not be too late." Prima Games. [[Prima's Official Strategy Guide - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2|Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2]](2001).Page 84.ISBN 0-7615-3237-4 Blade of Vengeance: "Raziel reenters Janos's lair at the worst possible moment-the Sarafan Warriors, led by the Sarafan lieutanant Raziel, rip the heart from the chest of Janos. As the retreat threatens to collapse around them, they flee, taking the Soul Reaver with them. With his dying breath, Janos tells Raziel that the Reaver was forged for him and that he must reclaim it. Raziel resolves to pursue to Sarafam to their Stronghold, and destroy the order to avenge Janos's death. He then plans to retrieve the Reaver and restore the Heart of Darkness to Janos's body, thereby resurrecting him." Prima Games. [[Prima's Official Strategy Guide - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2|Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2]](2001).Page 87.ISBN 0-7615-3237-4 Tip: "These Sarafan are the pre-eminent Warriors of the order. They behave like more poweful versions of the regular Sarafan-they are aggressive and often employ lunging attacks. Divide them so they can't both hit you at once, then block and counter." Prima Games. [[Prima's Official Strategy Guide - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2|Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2]](2001).Page 94.ISBN 0-7615-3237-4 or simply "Sarafan" (usually followed by the individuals name). Following the convention of enemy names in the Soul Reaver 2 Prima Guide, the title of the rank would presumably be "Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors" (or "Inquisitor Sarafan Warriors") Bestiary: Pikemen Sarafan Warriors: "Sarafan Pikemen wield vicious tridents, and they know how to exploit the strengths of their chosen weapon. These Sarafan favor a long-range jab attack, but they also lash out with a sweeping strike that hits Raziel even if he tries to sidestep.//'Strengths''' Their quick powerful attacks are difficult to dodge. They have robust health.//'Weaknesses' They're vulnerable to lunge attacks."'' Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2(2001).Page 20.ISBN 0-7615-3237-4 Bestiary: Swordsmen Sarafan Warriors: "These Sarafan wield long, delicate blades. They specialize in short- and medium-range attacks, but aren't as quick as pikemen.//'Strengths''' They're good blockers and strong at close combat.//'Weaknesses' They're easy to sidestep and their attacks don't hit from long range."'' Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2(2001).Page 20.ISBN 0-7615-3237-4. Further complicating matters, a distinct Sarafan Inquisitor enemy class was featured in Legacy of Kain: Defiance Sarafan Inquisitor: Description: "The Sarafan Inquisitors support their brethren in battle with a variety of spells, including://•''Heal: The caster can heal serious wounds on a single ally at will.//•''Amplify Damage:'' This powers up the attacks of all allies affected by the spell, and shows up as a red lightning bolt on their weapons.//•''Berserk Shield:'' An ally protected by the Berserk Shield will attack furiously and feel no pain when hit, although he continues to take damage.// The Inquisitors are also able to call forth a mortar-like burst of holy projectiles to attack opponents at a distance. In addition, they have the ability to initiate a radial blast attack to throw back opponents who venture too close to them in combat."'' Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Page 95. (2003). *Though Janos's murder was introduced in Blood Omen, it was not explicitly confirmed to have been at the hands of the Sarafan (or Sarafan inquisitors) until Soul Reaver 2. In Blood Omen, Janos's murder is mentioned, but the culprits are not identified and only NPC conversations (which don't explicitly mention Janos) hint that the vampire in Uschtenheim was killed by the Sarafan. Soul Reaver 2 would provide further details of the era, confirming the Sarafan inquisitors as responsible for Janos's death (~The Sarafan are clustered around Janos’ prostrate body, having rendered him helpless with the aid of Moebius’ staff. They've pinned the ancient vampire on his back. As Janos struggles against his captors, the head inquisitor commands his fellow Sarafan –~)Sarafan Raziel: "Hold him!"//(~Savoring the moment, the inquisitor raises his cruel-looking blade – then bringing it down violently, he tears Janos’ chest open.~)Janos: (~screams in agony~) (~Raziel reaches the threshold of the chamber too late. He watches in horror as the inquisitor reaches into Janos' open chest cavity and rips out his living heart with his hand, raising it triumphantly for the other Sarafan to see – ~)//'Turel:' "Look at his black heart, how it still beats!" (~Raziel prepares to leap into the fray, and then is frozen – as the head inquisitor turns, raising the heart, Raziel gets a good look at his face. And realizes that he has just watched himself – his former, Sarafan self – murder Janos.The two incarnations of Raziel lock eyes on each other – blue Raziel gaping in horror at recognizing his former self, and Sarafan Raziel strangely haunted by something in this demonic figure, but not knowing what.~) Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript. and this event as directly provoking Vorador's subsequent Slaughter of the Circle . *The Sarafan warrior inquisitor groups seems to be treated with particular reverence and respect, suggesting they were highly influential in the leadership of the order. The status of the inquisitors as martyred saints in the Tomb of the Sarafan and the seven thrones in the Sarafan Stronghold's upper tower may imply that the Sarafan was run at least in part as a council of the warrior inquisitors. Though not ultimately clear, it is likely that the members of the circle (explicitly sponsors of the crusades) may also have had significant input in the leadership of the order Kain: "Hidden amidst the many obscure artifacts in that museum, I discovered an ancient chronicle. This passage caught my eye://“It was during these dark times infested with the plague of the undead, that the Circle brought the Sarafan to existence. Trained to be devoutly loyal to the Circle, and the perfect exterminators of the undead scourge, they were led to many victories by the righteous paladin, Malek. They cleansed the vampires with fire, and released their souls to more blessed realms. There is no wrath as terrible as that of the righteous.”''//I had read enough. At once disgusted and intrigued, I placed the book back down in that museum."'' Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Kain VO: "Amongst Vorador’s possessions, I found an ancient chronicle...Long ago, vampires grew in such number as to capture the attention of the Circle. The Order of the Sarafan, or the “Angels of Light” as they were called, was instated to counter the menace. Thus, the “Vampire Purge” began."//(~Examining a series of macabre paintings on the wall:~) Kain VO: "The tapestries wove a tale of chaos ignited, an orgy of fire and pain. Undead beings, with rotted skins caked with sulfur and ash, beckoned at me through a burning abyss. Their tortured stares were a testemonial to the price of weakness. Their fate would not find me. Yet blood calls to blood." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. What's the Story?: "Many millenia ago, in Nosgoth, a great purge took place. Malek, leading the fanatical Sarafan in a holy war against the vampires, ruthlessly hunted down and exterminated the creatures, leaving them impaled on huge stakes. He was helped in this by the Circle of Nine, the legendary demigods who are the guardians of the nine sacred pillars." Prima Games. Prima's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Official Game Secrets (1996).Page 8.ISBN 0-7615-0363-3 What's the Story?: "In return for Malek's promise to guard and protect them, the Circle gave him their assistance in his purge. But an ancient and powerful vampire named Vorador grew enraged at the slaughter of his people and at the alliance the circle had struck. While Malek was distracted by war, Vorador suceeded in killing three of the champions , destroying the balance of the circle, and then escaping." Prima Games. Prima's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Official Game Secrets (1996).Page 8.ISBN 0-7615-0363-3 Janos: "And this is the terrible irony – with their vampire purge, the members of the Circle have assaulted the very architects of the Pillars they are sworn to protect. They have embarked on a treacherous path. With every vampire they kill, the humans are slitting their own throats." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation. (August 16, 1999) Transcript.. *The Sarafan warrior inquisitors are notably attired somewhat differently than the regular Sarafan troops of the time they appear, with a more impressive general uniform that varied between individuals with several displaying personalized colors and features for each inquisitor , and Raziel as the "Grand Inquisitor""Grand Inquisitor Notes" on Daniel Cabuco's online portfolio having particularly detailed armor . The color-schemes of the inquisitors would continue after their deaths, with the colors apparently adopted to identify different Sarafan enemy ranks by the time of Defiance. The inquisitors resurrected by Kain would perhaps unwittingly re-use the same personalized colors for their vampire clan-symbols in the Soul Reaver era . Appearances SR2-HoD-Dumah-Blood.png SR2-HumanRaz-Strike.png SR2-Raz Dumah.png SR2-SarafanEntrance.png SR2-SarafanInq-JanosDead.png SR2-SarafanAmbushJanos.png SR2-StaffHoldJanos.png SR2-DC-Vengeance-006-Melchiah-Zephon.png SR2-DC-Vengeance-022-Rahab-Dumah.png SR2-DC-Vengeance-034-Turel.png SR2-DC-Renunciation-017.png SR2-DC-Renunciation-016.png * Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (by last surviving member, indirect mention) * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (indirect mention/depiction) * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 * Legacy of Kain: Defiance comic (indirect mention) * Legacy of Kain: Defiance (indirect mention/depiction) See also *Nosgoth's early history *Sarafan brotherhood *Vampire purge References }} Category:Inhabitants Category:Sub-factions